Denard Span

The cheers spilled onto Waveland Avenue and into the early morning after Javier Baez had turned a tense, scoreless game into a raucous Wrigleyville party. Earlier, the 22-year-old infielder had defied Mother Nature by smacking an eighth-inning home run into a stiff wind for the lone run in the Cubs' playoff-opening victory over the Giants.

It was a magical moment — the ball was a home run by the barest of measures, landing in the protective basket on top of the left-field wall — but only the first act in a performance that has made Baez the breakout star of the Cubs' 2016 postseason run.

Grown men and women, many of whom had given Baez a standing ovation inside...

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The cheers spilled onto Waveland Avenue and into the early morning after Javier Baez had turned a tense, scoreless game into a raucous Wrigleyville party. Earlier, the 22-year-old infielder had defied Mother Nature by smacking an eighth-inning home run...

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